The IRCC super visa process for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and registered Indians: the signed invitation, the host income test under the March 31, 2026 rules, qualifying health insurance, the medical exam, and applying from outside Canada.
Applies in: CA
This guide covers one IRCC product only: the super visa for parents and grandparents. It is a multiple-entry temporary resident visa, not permanent residence, and it is not a study permit or a work permit. It states the process as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) states it on the pages. It is not immigration advice for a specific person: IRCC and the border services officer decide each application and each entry, and this guide does not assess whether any particular applicant or host meets the requirements. Read the IRCC pages linked in the Sources section on the day you apply, because income figures, insurance conditions, and portal steps change.
Three routes are routinely confused. They differ in who they are for, how long each stay lasts, and what status they give. Settle the route first, because the documents, the income test, and the insurance requirement that follow belong to the super visa only.
| Route | Who it is for | Stay and status |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa | Any eligible visitor | A stay the officer sets at entry. IRCC portal treats a stay of more than 6 months as the super visa branch. Temporary status only. |
| Super visa | Parents and grandparents of a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act | Up to 5 years per entry, on a multiple-entry visa valid for up to 10 years. Temporary status only. It does not grant permanent residence. |
| Parents and grandparents sponsorship | Parents and grandparents, sponsored for permanent residence | Permanent residence, through its own invitation system and a long financial undertaking. Covered in the separate sponsorship guide on this site. This guide states nothing about its current intake status. |
The super visa is the middle route: a long visit, not a move. A parent or grandparent who wants to live in Canada permanently needs the sponsorship route, not a super visa. A visitor who needs only a short stay does not need the invitation, income, insurance, and medical exam package that a super visa requires. IRCC own eligibility wording makes the same point from the other side: an applicant who does not meet the super visa requirements, or who wants to stay for 6 months or less, may be eligible for a visitor visa instead.
Two limits apply to every super visa application. The applicant must apply from outside Canada and meet the requirements for temporary residence as a visitor, plus the added super visa documentation. The applicant must also be allowed to enter Canada, which is a separate admissibility decision covering health, criminality, and the other grounds IRCC applies to visitors. A complete file that answers those points directly, in the order IRCC lists them, is the whole approach: there is no points threshold and no shortcut past the host, insurance, and medical exam requirements.
Every super visa has two sides: the applicant abroad and the host in Canada. The host is the applicant biological or adopted child or grandchild. The host must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act, must be at least 18 years old, and must live in Canada. Only biological or adopted children may invite their parents or grandparents. They may also invite the spouse or common-law partner of their parent or grandparent, a step-parent or step-grandparent, but then the application must also include proof of the relationship between the parent or grandparent and that spouse or common-law partner, such as a marriage certificate or proof of a common-law relationship.
Proof of the host covers three facts, each with its own document. Relationship proof may be a copy of the child or grandchild birth certificate, a baptismal certificate, or another official document naming the applicant as the parent or grandparent. Status proof is a copy of the host Canadian citizenship document, permanent resident document, or Secure Certificate of Indian Status or Certificate of Indian Status, as applicable. Age and residence in Canada must also be proven. A spouse or common-law partner of the host may co-sign the letter of invitation so their income counts toward the minimum necessary income, and then proof of the co-signer relationship, status, age, residence, and income is also required.
The letter of invitation must be written and signed by the host child or grandchild, and co-signed by the host spouse or common-law partner where that person is acting as a co-signer. IRCC requires the letter and its accompanying documents to include:
Write the letter to that list, not to a template found elsewhere. If a name, a date of birth, or a document is missing from the list, the officer cannot complete the family size count or the income check that the letter exists to support. Keep a copy of the signed letter and every document listed in it: the file submitted is the record any later application must stay consistent with.
The income test is the host test, not the applicant test, except for the limited applicant-income addition in Option 2 below. The host must provide proof of meeting or exceeding the minimum necessary income, based on Statistics Canada most recent low income cut-offs (LICO), for the applicable family size. Do not use the sponsorship income table for a super visa: the sponsorship test and the super visa test use different tables, and the sponsorship figures are higher. Use the super visa table on the IRCC proof-of-financial-support page.
Count the family size the way IRCC counts it for a super visa. The following people must be included:
IRCC states expressly that this count differs from the family class sponsorship count, because the super visa is a temporary resident visa and the family members of the super visa applicant are not included in the same way. Work through the list person by person with the invitation letter in hand: previously approved super visa holders and people under an earlier undertaking are the two groups most often missed, and either one raises the family size and therefore the income figure that applies.
Since March 31, 2026, the income requirement may be met in one of two ways. IRCC announced the change on March 20, 2026, and applied the new calculation to applications already in processing on March 31, 2026 and to applications submitted on or after that date. Families who were eligible under the previous calculation continue to qualify.
Option 1: the host best income of the last two taxation years. The host, and co-signer if applicable, must provide proof that total income in either of the two taxation years immediately preceding submission of the application meets or exceeds the most recent LICO. Acceptable evidence is a copy of the notice of assessment, or equivalent document issued by the Canada Revenue Agency. Where a notice of assessment is unavailable or does not capture all income for the taxation year, officers may also consider the host T4 or T1.
Option 2: host income of at least 75 percent, supplemented with applicant income. The host, and co-signer if applicable, must provide proof that total income in the most recent 12-month period or taxation year before the application was submitted meets at least 75 percent of the most recent LICO. Proof of the applicant income may then be submitted to supplement the host income, up to a maximum of 25 percent of LICO. Where both parents, or both grandparents, are invited, the income of both visiting parents or both visiting grandparents may be considered to supplement the host income, for the applicable family size. The host may also choose Option 2 to prove the requirement with income from the most recent 12-month period. Acceptable evidence from the host and co-signer is the notice of assessment for the most recent taxation year, or, where it is unavailable, T4 or T1, pay stubs, proof of other income such as pension statements, an original employer letter stating job title, job description and salary, or bank statements. Acceptable evidence from the applicant includes pension, remote employment, investment or business income, and rental or leasing income, each with the documents IRCC lists for that source. An applicant who contributes income must provide proof of continuing to earn that income while in Canada, and the document used must state the currency paid in. Foreign income is converted to Canadian dollars at the rate in effect on the date the application was submitted, using a financial institution currency converter such as the Bank of Canada.
IRCC own worked examples show how the figures apply. In May 2026, the most recent LICO for 2 persons was $38,002, so a single host inviting one parent, a family size of 2, had to show income of $38,002 or more in either the 2024 or 2025 taxation year under Option 1. For 6 persons, the most recent LICO was $72,560, so under Option 2 a host at 75 percent had to show at least $54,420, with the applicants covering the remaining amount up to $72,560. This guide reproduces no other table row: the full table was not readable in the IRCC page copy, and the figures change. Read the current table on the IRCC proof-of-financial-support page and match the row to the family size counted above, on the day the application is submitted. Submit more than one income document where the bulletin advises it: officers weigh the balance of probabilities, and multiple documents raise confidence that the figure is met.
Health insurance is not an optional extra for a super visa. The applicant must provide satisfactory evidence of a valid health insurance policy from either a Canadian insurance company, or an insurance company outside Canada that is authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) under the Insurance Companies Act to provide accident and sickness insurance, appears on OSFI publicly available list of federally regulated financial institutions, and has issued or made the policy during the course of its insurance business in Canada. A broker or a claims administrator is not an insurance company and will not appear on the OSFI list: the name that matters is the company that issued the policy, sometimes shown as the insurer or the underwriter. All policies issued by a foreign insurance company must include a statement that the document was issued or made while the company was doing insurance business in Canada. IRCC public-facing documents page uses shorter wording, an insurance company outside Canada approved by the minister, for the same requirement; the OSFI test in the officer instructions is the precise test to check before paying.
Every policy must meet all of the following conditions:
The officer must be satisfied that the applicant holds the appropriate policy for a full year on each entry, initial and subsequent, regardless of the method of payment. That means insurance is not a one-time application document: if the policy will expire before the applicant leaves Canada, renew it to maintain coverage during the stay, and carry proof of the policy on each entry. Check the policy document itself against each condition before submitting: coverage amount, entry-date validity period, the three heads of cover, payment proof rather than a quote, and the insurer name. No insurance price, premium, or recommended insurer is stated in this guide. IRCC publishes no price, and a price from a secondary source says nothing about whether a given policy meets the conditions above.
The applicant must provide proof of submitting to an immigration medical exam, to determine whether the applicant may be inadmissible on health grounds, including danger to public health or public safety or a condition that might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services. IRCC public-facing documents page states the requirement plainly: provide proof of a medical exam with an approved panel physician. Book the exam with a panel physician IRCC approves, keep the proof of completion with the application documents, and do not substitute an exam from another doctor. This guide states no medical exam cost and no result validity period, because neither was stated on an IRCC page.
Most applicants apply online through the IRCC Portal. After signing in, answer the portal questions exactly as IRCC states them: select Visitor visa or super visa when asked what to apply for, and select To visit my children or grandchildren for more than 6 months (super visa) when asked why a visitor visa is needed. The portal then generates a personalized document checklist. That checklist, plus any visa office instructions for the country applied from, governs the file: provide every document on it, with a scanner or camera for electronic copies. An alternate format, including braille, large print, or paper, may be requested where an applicant cannot apply online and requires accommodation, including for a disability, by the email process on the IRCC How to apply page.
The applicant must also meet the general requirements for visiting Canada as a temporary resident, and must be allowed to enter Canada. Ties to the home country, the purpose of the visit, and finances for the stay are part of that assessment, alongside the super visa documents. Prepare the supporting documents on that basis, honestly and completely: travel history, the purpose and length of the visit, and the arrangements for the stay, in the applicant own documents, not only in the host letter. Where a representative is used, or information is to be released to another person, use the representative forms the checklist requires.
Fees are paid at the end of the online application, with a valid email address, access to a printer for the receipt, and a credit card, Debit Mastercard, or Visa Debit card. On the IRCC How to apply page, the super visa fee is $100 per person for a multiple-entry temporary resident visa, payable by all applicants unless they are from a visa-exempt country, and the biometrics fee is $85 where biometrics are required. In most cases fees include processing fees, and where biometrics are required the biometrics fee should be paid when applying, to avoid processing delays. Visa-exempt applicants pay neither the super visa fee nor the biometrics fee; if the application is approved, they are directed to apply for an electronic travel authorization if they need one, and are then given a letter to show to a border services officer on arrival. Confirm both amounts on the IRCC page on the day of payment.
After submission, wait for the biometrics instruction letter if biometrics apply, then book the collection appointment as soon as possible. IRCC states it cannot issue a super visa valid for longer than the applicant biometrics, so biometrics validity also caps the visa validity an applicant can receive. If IRCC asks for an interview or added documents during processing, answer through the channel IRCC specifies and keep copies of everything sent.
On travel, carry the passport with the visa, the insurance proof, and the supporting documents for the visit. A border services officer checks identity against the approval and decides admission and the authorized stay at entry. The super visa validity of up to 10 years is not the same as the stay: each entry allows a stay of up to 5 years, and the stamp or record given at entry governs when the stay ends. Leave by that date, or apply to extend the stay before it passes, under IRCC instructions for extending a visitor stay. A super visa does not authorize work or study in Canada; separate authorization is needed for either activity. If plans change while in Canada, check IRCC pages for extending a stay, changing conditions, or applying for a different status before the authorized stay ends: overstaying creates an immigration history that follows every later application.
This guide states no processing time for a super visa, because IRCC publishes processing times only through its processing-time tool by application type and visa office. It states no insurance price, premium, or medical exam cost, because IRCC publishes no price for either and both vary by provider. It states no extension-of-stay length, because no extension length was stated on an IRCC page. It states no medical exam result validity period. It reproduces only two income-table figures, $38,002 for 2 persons and $72,560 for 6 persons, because those are the figures stated in IRCC worked examples ; it does not reproduce the remaining table rows, and it does not state the table effective date, because the table portion of the IRCC proof-of-financial-support page did not render in the copy. It states no passport-expiry limit on super visa validity beyond the biometrics limit IRCC states on the How to apply page. Where a figure was cut, the guide points to the IRCC page or tool that owns it instead of carrying a secondary source number.
A note on conflicting stay lengths: IRCC current pages state 5 years for each entry. Older IRCC checklists and forms that state a stay of up to 2 years carry the pre-June 2023 wording and are stale. Secondary sources that state any other stay length, including 7 years, do not match the IRCC pages and must not be relied on. Where sources conflict, the IRCC wording on the pages linked below governs.
A visitor visa is for a shorter stay that an officer sets at entry, and IRCC treats a stay of more than 6 months as the super visa branch of the application. A super visa is a multiple-entry visitor visa only for parents and grandparents of a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act, and it allows up to 5 years per entry with a validity of up to 10 years. Sponsorship under the Parents and Grandparents Program is permanent residence, not a visit: it has its own invitation system and a long financial undertaking, and it is covered in a separate guide on this site. A super visa does not grant permanent residence and does not lead to it on its own. Pick the route by what is actually wanted: a visit measured in months, a long visit of up to 5 years per entry, or permanent residence.
The host must meet or exceed the minimum necessary income, based on Statistics Canada low income cut-offs, for the family size IRCC counts. Since March 31, 2026 there are two ways to meet it. Option 1: the host, with a co-signer if there is one, meets the full minimum in either of the two taxation years immediately before the application, proven with a Canada Revenue Agency notice of assessment or equivalent document. Option 2: the host and co-signer meet at least 75 percent of the minimum in the most recent 12-month period or taxation year, and the visiting parent or grandparent adds income to cover the rest, up to 25 percent of the minimum, with proof the income will continue while in Canada. Family size counts the host, the host spouse or common-law partner, dependent children, the applicant and any other applicant applying at the same time, previously approved super visa holders, and previously sponsored people whose undertaking is still in effect. IRCC own examples give $38,002 for 2 persons and $72,560 for 6 persons. Read the current table on the IRCC proof-of-financial-support page for your family size before you apply, because this guide does not reproduce the full table.
IRCC requires proof of a health insurance policy from a Canadian insurance company or from an insurance company outside Canada that is authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions under the Insurance Companies Act, appears on its public list of federally regulated financial institutions, and issued the policy while doing insurance business in Canada. The policy must be valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry, be paid in full or in instalments with a deposit, cover health care, hospitalization and repatriation, provide at least $100,000 in emergency coverage per applicant, be valid for each entry to Canada, and be available for review by a border services officer on request. Quotes are not accepted, and the officer must be satisfied the applicant holds appropriate cover for a full year on each entry. This guide states no insurance price or premium, because IRCC publishes no price and prices vary by insurer, age, and coverage. Compare policies only against the IRCC conditions listed here.
Yes to the first two, and biometrics only if they apply to the applicant. The applicant must be outside Canada when the application is submitted and must have the visa printed by a visa office outside Canada. The applicant must provide proof of an immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician, which IRCC uses to assess medical admissibility. After applying, wait for a biometrics instruction letter if biometrics apply, then book the collection appointment as soon as possible. IRCC states it cannot issue a super visa valid for longer than the applicant biometrics. Applicants from visa-exempt countries can still get a super visa for the 5-year stay, pay no super visa or biometrics fee, and are directed to apply for an electronic travel authorization if they need one for air travel.
IRCC current wording is 5 years for each entry, on a multiple-entry visa with a validity of up to 10 years. Older material that says a super visa allows a stay of up to 2 years is stale: that was the stay length before the change that took effect for applications on or after June 22, 2023, and it still appears in some old checklists and forms. Do not rely on any secondary source that states a different stay length, including a 7-year figure: if it does not match the IRCC pages linked in the Sources section, it is not the current IRCC position. Read the dates on the visa itself and the entry stamp or record given at the border, because those dates govern the stay. This guide states no extension length: if a longer stay is needed, check IRCC instructions for extending a visitor stay before the authorized stay ends, and do not assume an extension will be granted.
On the IRCC How to apply page, the super visa fee is $100 per person for a multiple-entry temporary resident visa, payable by all applicants unless they are from a visa-exempt country, and the biometrics fee is $85 where biometrics are required. Visa-exempt applicants pay neither fee. Re-check the amounts on the IRCC page on the day you pay, because fees change. This guide states no processing time, because IRCC publishes processing times only through its processing-time tool by application type and visa office, and a figure copied from any other source would be stale on arrival. Do not plan travel dates around a processing time from a secondary source.
Figures that could not be verified on an official page were cut from this guide: the full minimum necessary income table beyond the two worked examples, and the table effective date; all super visa processing times; all insurance prices and premiums; all medical exam costs and result validity periods; any extension-of-stay length; and any passport-expiry limit on super visa validity beyond the biometrics limit. Check the IRCC proof-of-financial-support page, processing-time tool, and How to apply page linked above for current figures before you apply or travel.